The Artemis III mission of the United States, aimed at returning to the Moon, is encountering substantial obstacles and is anticipated to surpass its scheduled deadline of 2025.
The US Government Accountability Office (GAO), in its report on Thursday (Nov 30), attributed the delay to two primary issues: SpaceX’s incomplete development of the ‘Starship Human Landing System’ (HLS) and the postponement in the production of the Axiom spacesuit, specifically chosen for lunar activities.
While acknowledging progress in various milestones by NASA and its contractors, the GAO highlighted the existence of multiple challenges. Consequently, the GAO asserted that the crewed lunar landing for Artemis III is unlikely to materialize in 2025.
Concerns surround the HLS, which has encountered difficulties reaching Earth’s orbit during tests, necessitating substantial refinement before it becomes mission-ready.
According to the outlined plans, the Starship is intended to initially reach Earth’s orbit without a crew. Subsequently, astronauts would board the spacecraft in the Moon’s orbit to descend to the lunar surface. The transportation of humans to the natural satellite is anticipated to be facilitated by NASA’s Space Launch System and Orion crew capsule.
In essence, the GAO report signals setbacks in the timeline of the Artemis III mission, attributing the delays to challenges associated with the HLS and the Axiom spacesuit. The report casts doubt on the feasibility of achieving the crewed lunar landing by the originally targeted year of 2025, emphasizing the need for addressing the identified challenges before proceeding with the mission.
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